Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This episode covers Matt’s (a private pilot student) preparation, using my home simulator setup to handle avionics management and radio work while actually flying the real airplane to FlightSimExpo last year. It's amazing how far things have come; you can practice workflows with simulated avionics that look and feel like the real thing, while also utilizing an actual EFB like ForeFlight on the same tablet you take to the real cockpit.
It is both a huge money saver and confidence builder to be able to "fly" at home and build actual muscle memory for real flying.
Flight Simulation Association is excited to be hosting their 7th annual convention in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota this summer.
FlightSimExpo 2026, the aviation and flight sim convention for enthusiasts, aviation professionals, and pilots, is June 12-14 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
flightsimexpo.com
The convention is open to the public, and no prior experience is necessary.
Access hands-on exhibits with over 60 flight simulators to try, how-to seminars, workshops, and tours—for everyone from experienced flight simmers and pilots to those new to aviation.
Participate in career-oriented workshops hosted by Professional Pilots of Tomorrow.
Meet the 60+ flight simulation and aviation companies who are exhibiting, and try the biggest titles in home flight sim like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Digital Combat Simulator, X-Plane 12, Combat Pilot, GeoFS, and more.
I'll be there, and I hope to see you!
_____
And I’d like to introduce TWO new Flight Chops partner / sponsors - both are interestingly leaning into bringing AI to aviation.
Bernoulli is a flight intelligence system that puts an instructor into your simulator to fly with you, talk to you and respond to natural language questions while passing control back and forth. Bernoulli does the things a real flight instructor does, critique, feedback, focus, airmanship. To use a simulator in a way that supports real flight training, let Bernoulli take care of tech support, and your learning curriculum. It is truly a way to dramatically increase the value and utility of your home flight simulator!
Learn more:
predictivedynamics.ai/homepage
PlaneWX is solving a problem most of us in general aviation know too well — especially those of us without professional dispatchers.
You make plans weeks out. Bags are packed, hotels are booked, people are counting on you. But TAFs and METARs weren't designed to look more than 24 hours ahead. Beyond that window, you're left making sense of model output that takes real meteorological training to read. We do our best, but it can often feel like waiting and hoping
What impressed me about PlaneWX is how it follows your flight from the moment you enter it all the way to wheels-up. Weeks out, it's reading the broad weather pattern. Days out, it's tracking the trend. Inside 24 hours, it layers in the highest-resolution products available — so your WX Score gets sharper and more actionable right up until you taxi out.
And it's not just reading the weather. It's reading the weather against your aircraft, your ratings, and your personal minimums. No EFB or weather app does that.
The team at PlaneWX has truly impressed me, and I'm excited to help tell their story.
Learn more:
planewx.ai
_____
I appreciate Bose Aviation being a Flight Chops supporter for almost 10 years! With a simple Flight Sound X adapter you can use your real aviation headset with your sim!
boseaviation.com/experiences/first-solos-steve-thorne
Shout out to SiriusXM Aviation
Having access to weather data while flying is a game changer!
siriusxm.com/aviation
Canadian link:
siriusxm.ca/aviation
#Flying episodes like this wouldn't be sustainable without the involvement of Patrons.
I want to thank all of you for your ongoing support!
To become a part of the Flight Chops core community
and gain access to exclusive raw cuts, behind the scenes videos, and more, visit:
patreon.com/join/FlightChops
Follow FlightChops on Instagram:
instagram.com/flightchops
FlightChops Sponsors & Supporters:
flightchops.com/supporters
FLIGHT CHOPS DISCLAIMER:
I am a "weekend warrior" private pilot, I fly for fun with no intentions of going commercial. I have had my PPL for over 20 years, but still consider each flight a learning experience - I generally take detailed notes after each flight to remind myself what went well or what I could do to improve.... Having GoPro cameras to record flights like this is invaluable. I find these self analysis videos very helpful in my constant quest to improve, and am happy to share. Feedback is invited; however, please keep it positive.
This episode covers Matt’s (a private pilot student) preparation, using my home simulator setup to handle avionics management and radio work while actually flying the real airplane to FlightSimExpo last year. It's amazing how far things have come; you can practice workflows with simulated avionics that look and feel like the real thing, while also utilizing an actual EFB like ForeFlight on the same tablet you take to the real cockpit.
It is both a huge money saver and confidence builder to be able to "fly" at home and build actual muscle memory for real flying.
Flight Simulation Association is excited to be hosting their 7th annual convention in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota this summer.
FlightSimExpo 2026, the aviation and flight sim convention for enthusiasts, aviation professionals, and pilots, is June 12-14 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
flightsimexpo.com
The convention is open to the public, and no prior experience is necessary.
Access hands-on exhibits with over 60 flight simulators to try, how-to seminars, workshops, and tours—for everyone from experienced flight simmers and pilots to those new to aviation.
Participate in career-oriented workshops hosted by Professional Pilots of Tomorrow.
Meet the 60+ flight simulation and aviation companies who are exhibiting, and try the biggest titles in home flight sim like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Digital Combat Simulator, X-Plane 12, Combat Pilot, GeoFS, and more.
I'll be there, and I hope to see you!
_____
And I’d like to introduce TWO new Flight Chops partner / sponsors - both are interestingly leaning into bringing AI to aviation.
Bernoulli is a flight intelligence system that puts an instructor into your simulator to fly with you, talk to you and respond to natural language questions while passing control back and forth. Bernoulli does the things a real flight instructor does, critique, feedback, focus, airmanship. To use a simulator in a way that supports real flight training, let Bernoulli take care of tech support, and your learning curriculum. It is truly a way to dramatically increase the value and utility of your home flight simulator!
Learn more:
predictivedynamics.ai/homepage
PlaneWX is solving a problem most of us in general aviation know too well — especially those of us without professional dispatchers.
You make plans weeks out. Bags are packed, hotels are booked, people are counting on you. But TAFs and METARs weren't designed to look more than 24 hours ahead. Beyond that window, you're left making sense of model output that takes real meteorological training to read. We do our best, but it can often feel like waiting and hoping
What impressed me about PlaneWX is how it follows your flight from the moment you enter it all the way to wheels-up. Weeks out, it's reading the broad weather pattern. Days out, it's tracking the trend. Inside 24 hours, it layers in the highest-resolution products available — so your WX Score gets sharper and more actionable right up until you taxi out.
And it's not just reading the weather. It's reading the weather against your aircraft, your ratings, and your personal minimums. No EFB or weather app does that.
The team at PlaneWX has truly impressed me, and I'm excited to help tell their story.
Learn more:
planewx.ai
_____
I appreciate Bose Aviation being a Flight Chops supporter for almost 10 years! With a simple Flight Sound X adapter you can use your real aviation headset with your sim!
boseaviation.com/experiences/first-solos-steve-thorne
Shout out to SiriusXM Aviation
Having access to weather data while flying is a game changer!
siriusxm.com/aviation
Canadian link:
siriusxm.ca/aviation
#Flying episodes like this wouldn't be sustainable without the involvement of Patrons.
I want to thank all of you for your ongoing support!
To become a part of the Flight Chops core community
and gain access to exclusive raw cuts, behind the scenes videos, and more, visit:
patreon.com/join/FlightChops
Follow FlightChops on Instagram:
instagram.com/flightchops
FlightChops Sponsors & Supporters:
flightchops.com/supporters
FLIGHT CHOPS DISCLAIMER:
I am a "weekend warrior" private pilot, I fly for fun with no intentions of going commercial. I have had my PPL for over 20 years, but still consider each flight a learning experience - I generally take detailed notes after each flight to remind myself what went well or what I could do to improve.... Having GoPro cameras to record flights like this is invaluable. I find these self analysis videos very helpful in my constant quest to improve, and am happy to share. Feedback is invited; however, please keep it positive.
